This invention relates to switching devices of the type including a plurality of switch elements selectively operable under the control of electromagnetic or other drive means and is primarily intended to provide a switching device of the type concerned which is highly integrated in structure for maximum component density.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,244, issued Sept. 22, 1964, to Rudolf Nitsch et al., there is disclosed an electromagnetic relay device which includes a metallic carrier or base plate in which a number of core members are inserted perpendicularly to the plane of the base plate and tightly secured therein by glass seal means for operative association with the respective relay elements. Provided on the metallic base plate is a cover member which is hermetically secured to the plate to define a sealed chamber thereon and to the inside of which a spring strip is welded to support movable contacts in the sealed chamber.
With such known structure, however, since the cover is designed also to serve as a signal line common to the movable contacts, it is very difficult to form a matrix switching device in which switch elements are arranged in a matrix and the movable contacts thereof are electrically connected in series with each other, for example, in each of the columns or rows of the matrix so that the columns or rows of movable contacts may be utilized independently from each other.
Again, with the known structure, in which the base plate is metallic and the cores themselves serve as electrical conductors forming part of the signal lines, wiring connection of the signal lines and core energizing windings or coils cannot be made on the base plate necessitating use of some additional means such as a printed circuit board outside of the structure itself. This results in an increase in number of component parts as well as in cost fabrication and thus the use of such structure inadvisable for realization of any high density integrated matrix switching device.
Moreover, the known relay structure, in which core members are inserted in a metallic base plate and fixed in place by glass seal means necessitates a considerably complicated process of fabrication which includes glass sealing of the core members, involving the danger that the magnetic quality of the core members may become deteriorated at the elevated temperatures employed.